Cleaning wipes for babies are becoming increasingly popular, and some kinds are even labeled “flushable.” Still, we would not recommend flushing them.
A number of Minnesota towns have seen so many wipes getting flushed that they are actually clogging up local sewer systems, according to reports.
In the town of Avon, Utilities Superintendent Jon Forsell has had to bring in a crane and pull away wipes that are clogging pumps. More than once.
Forsell said the wipes are difficult to extract.
“When these wipes are wet and wound around something they are incredibly strong. You cannot tear them with your hands,” Forsell lamented.
A representative for Kimberly Clarke said it manufactures both flushable and non-flushable wipes, and that their flushable wipes are safe to flush.
But Bob Brand, the director of external communications for Kimberly Clarke, went onto say consumers need to read labels of the wipes they buy.
The City of Avon has sent out a flyer to all residents telling them not to flush any wipes. Officials said replacing one of their sewage pumps costs $16,000.
For small communities in particular, the stakes are high.
“If you have ongoing unexpected expenses, it blows the budget,” Jim Thares said. “The only product that should be going down the toilet is toilet paper.”
The City of Avon said that this could become severe, and if left unchecked, the wipe problem could get so bad it could shut down their entire sewer system.
Remember. Think before you wipe and flush.
No … wait …